Citizens have concerns about impact of noise, and about environmental effects on water and wildlife

Citizens have unanswered questions about a huge power project in Nation Municipality [Photo: Ontario Farmer/PostMedia]

August 28, 2017

Wind power developer RES Canada has scheduled the final Open House events for the Eastern Fields wind power project in The Nation, east of Ottawa. The Nation includes St Bernardin and Casselman.

The power project proposed would be 32-megawatt capacity, and cost Ontario almost $140 million over the 20-year contract. Ontario is currently in a situation of surplus power, and is regularly selling off surplus power as well as paying power producers to “constrain” or not to produce.

For example, the corporate power developer has not actually confirmed the type of turbines it will use, but has provided a Noise Impact Assessment Report based on computer noise modeling for a type of Vestas wind turbines.

There are questions too about studies of waterways and groundwater, and how the wind turbine foundations will affect the ground. The Nation has Leda Clay which can be unstable.

The water issue is of special concern as property owners in Chatham-Kent are now experiencing contaminated water or Black Water as vibration from turbine construction and operation has been implicated in disturbing aquifers, and causing toxic heavy metals to contaminate wells.

Another concern is the company’s response to complaints of excessive noise and vibration. Wind Concerns Ontario received documents under Freedom of Information legislation showing that thousands of noise complaints have been filed since 2006, very few of which have had any response or resolution. RES Canada’s Talbot development was the source of hundreds of noise complaints. The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) leaves response to noise complaints up to the power developers, in spite of the Ministry’s mandate to protect the environment and health.

There will be two Open Houses, the final events before the developer files documents for a Renewable Energy Approval.

The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) last week announced contracts for five wind power projects, for a total of 300 megawatts of new wind power generation.

According to Ontario’s Auditor General, the province is already in a situation of a surplus of power, and selling off the extra at a loss, a good portion of which is due to wind power.

Two Ottawa area communities were named in the contract announcement. The Municipality of Nation and Township of Champlain were tipped for a 32-megawatt project by RES Canada, and North Stormont is to get a 100-megawatt project by EDP Renewables. EDP Renewables (head office Spain) operates the South Branch wind power project in Brinston, which it purchased from Germany-based Prowind.

Citizens of Nation/Champlain who want to get involved should contact Save The Nation/Sauvons La Nation here.

In a recent paper prepared by eight Ontario academics (Fast et al, Nature Energy, January 2016), Ontario’s procurement process for large-scale renewable power projects came under fire for ignoring community concerns.

News reports following last week’s contract announcement quote local mayors as saying they feel “betrayed” by the government action–Dutton-Dunwich mayor Cameron McWilliam was quoted as saying “We live in the Province of Toronto, not the Province of Ontario.” His municipality conducted a full, legal referendum which resulted in 84% saying NO to the wind power project–they are getting a 57-megawatt project by U.S.-based Invenergy.

The municipalities do not even know where the turbines for the proposed power projects will go, as that information is not part of the bid process.

Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli, who told municipalities that it would be “impossible” for a power developer to get a contract if a community did not support it, now says, “They should have known” we never gave them a veto. He describes the power projects, bid and constructed by private corporations, as “public infrastructure.”

No community support for greed says Save The Nation [Photo: Ontario Farmer]

Community Information Session in St-Albert

The volunteers from Save The Nation have planned an information session to explain the reasons why our group is against the industrial wind turbine projects in our areas.

Producing green energy in Ontario is a complex issue. The session will help you better understand the role of the provincial government and the Green Energy Act, the role of our municipality and the repercussion of their decisions on all of its citizens. Other topics will include the negative impacts of wind turbines on humans, the economy and the environment.

Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Location: St-Albert Community Centre, 201 Principale, St-Albert

Time: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. (English)

8:00 to 9:00 p.m. (French)

Why continue the opposition movement?

Although our municipality has officially declared its opposition to wind turbine projects, it is the province that decides which projects will go forward. We sincerely hope that the Ontario government will respect its promise to not impose projects on municipalities that have declared themselves “not a willing host”.

However, the Ontario government has designated the Eastern and Central parts of the province as priority regions for the development of wind energy. The Nation Municipality is therefore in a designated priority area. Even if the St-Isidore and St-Bernardin projects are not selected in this current round of proposals, they can be considered in 2016 or 2017. If the Crysler project is chosen in the neighbouring municipality, there could be an extension into St-Albert, and even Embrun and Limoges.

What you can do to support the work of Save The Nation

• Keep your lawn sign visible. There will be signs available for purchase at our St-Albert event.

• Continue to be informed on the subject. Attend municipal council meetings to show your interest in the decision they make on our behalf. All the meetings are public and take place on Mondays starting at 4 p.m. The dates and times of the meetings are posted on the municipality’s website.

Request for proposal process – Next step

IESO (Independant Electric System Operator) will evaluate the proposals by industrial wind turbine companies by the end of November 2015. They will announce the selected projects by the end of the year. Save The Nation will submit its official opposition in a written statement before the deadline of October 23rd. We are also researching our options in the event that our region is selected.

More information

Visit our website for a list of documentaries and articles on industrial wind turbines.

Council for the municipality of Nation, just east of Ottawa, met last evening and decided to reverse a motion of support for two wind power projects, in St Bernardin and St Isidore. Nation is now Not A Willing Host to wind power projects, making it the 90th community in Ontario to reject wind power proposals. The community group Save The Nation/Sauvon La Nation held a huge public meeting last week, and revealed that council had passed the support motion with no public discussion or input. The majority of residents are opposed to the power projects on the grounds that the potential for environmental damage is significant, and the impact on agriculture and the social fabric of the communities would be extensive. “We are not for sale,” said Julie Leroux of Save The Nation in an interview. EDF of France had claimed it has spent hundreds of thousands wooing the community, paying for hockey dinners and other events designed to sway farm owners to sign leases for the project. See the story from CTV News here: http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/residents-of-nation-east-of-ottawa-fight-wind-turbine-projects-1.2510730 Related story: the town of Essex last night voted not to support a new wind power project, saying they want no more wind turbines. There are now 91 Not A Willing Host communities in Ontario.

500 residents crowd community centre: “this will destroy The Nation”

“Save The Nation” banner says it all [Photo: Wind Concerns Ontario]

More than 500 residents of the municipality of Nation, about 45 minutes east of Ottawa, met on Wednesday night to learn more, and discuss action on two wind power proposals for their community: a 150-megawatt project by EDF, and a 75-MW project by Leader Resources.Among the speakers was Carmen Krogh, known internationally for her research on the impacts of wind turbine noise emissions on human health. A particular concern for Krogh, she expressed that evening, is the effect of the wind turbine emissions on children. Despite clear guidance from the World Health Organization and other bodies in public health about exposing children to possible harm, Ontario has proceeded to build wind power projects in communities close to homes.

Other speakers detailed the environmental impacts of the proposed wind turbine arrays, and commented on the degree of impact on the community for very little benefit.

Organizer Julie Leroux commented that the public was left out of a decision by council to support wind power; after signing an agreement to be an unwilling host as a member of the United Counties of Prescott-Russell, Nation then approved a motion of support for a wind power project by Sierra Nevada, in 2013. Nation’s mayor has gone on record in the agricultural media as saying he supported the current EDF proposal, and that Nation is a “willing host.”

We are not, said Leroux.

The community group Save The Nation requested time to make a presentation to Council but was not scheduled to do so now until August 31st; the deadline for wind power proposals under the new process is September 1st, the next day.

Questions and comments afterward were a clear demonstration not only that the community is already well informed on this issue, they are passionate about protecting their way of life, the social fabric of Nation, and the agricultural economic base.

“This will destroy the Nation, if it happens,” said one gentleman.

Another, who had travelled to Wolfe Island to see turbines to educate himself (Note: a better trip would be to Brinston, south of Ottawa, where EDP is operating 3-MW turbines in the South Branch power project), said he was shocked at the environmental impact of the wind power machines. “The foundations for these things are huge,” he said, “and they will never go away.”

If the wind power projects are approved said one young farmer, who said he was speaking for others in his demographic of 20s and 30s, it will destroy the local economy and way of life in Nation. “We’re leaving,” he said simply.

Organizers for the event and members of Save The Nation said that no members of Nation council attended the meeting as far as they knew but MPP Grant Crack’s executive assistant was there.

Breaking News: Wind Concerns Ontario has learned that Nation Council will be discussing the community reaction to the wind power proposals on Monday, August 10.